SHILLONG, July 14 (PTI): The Meghalaya High Court has asked the state government to seek Assam police’s help to arrest the “kingpins” involved in illegal mining of coal in the hill state.
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Hearing a PIL on the matter on Thursday, the full bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said it appears that the miners operating in the state are small-time operators and the entire operations are controlled by kingpins from outside.
“It is for such a reason that it (court) had indicated earlier that an investigation into the illegal activities may be directed to be conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation,” the order stated.
“If the state is serious in dealing with the issue, it is possible for the state police to obtain the assistance and cooperation of the Assam police to launch a combined operation not only to arrest the illegality but also to stop exploitation of the state’s small miners by operators functioning from elsewhere,” the bench added.
On the issues of miners losing livelihoods due to the ban on illegal mining, the bench said it was for the state to take appropriate steps to provide alternative sources of livelihood.
“Indeed, due to the state’s inaction in disposing of the previously illegally-mined coal, it allowed freshly-mined coal to be dumped on the roadsides and attempted it to be passed off as the previously-mined coal,” it observed, further stating that coke-oven plants mushroomed all over the state indicating that the transportation of the illegally-mined coal was rampant.
It also blamed the state’s submission that scientific mining of coal is yet to start, though feasibility studies and the like may have already been undertaken.
Meanwhile, Justice (retd) BP Katakey visited the illegal coal mining area of Nongalbibra in South Garo Hills district after receiving complaints about illegal mining activities.
He said, “In the garb of scientific mining, illegal mining activities cannot be allowed; hopefully the government will continue the drone survey to find out the extract of illegal mining because as on date there is no legal mining in the state.”
He said in his six reports submitted to the NGT, he recommended an investigation regarding illegal export of coal to Bangladesh.
“I have already asked the government about the steps taken and I am expecting a reply from the state government within a week,” he said.
